


Permafrost

by orphan_account



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Character Turned Into Vampire, M/M, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Vampire Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-13 05:54:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20577560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "There is no evidence that it started that early, but that's what I assume. The Winter Soldier is the only remaining vampire in existence."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> warnings: very mild depiction of violence

After Azzano, something had changed.

Besides the obvious differences, like Steve's growth spurt and their sudden rise to fame, Bucky realized something had changed in him. And it wasn't the typical nightmares that came from being a POW.

He still wasn't exactly sure what had happened after Hydra had taken him. Men were taken out of their cells in the morning and their corpses were carted away that night. Bucky was taken from his cell and he lived. 

Something had been injected into his neck. It made his veins freeze and it hurt. After that everything was unclear in his head, but he could remember crying out in pain and he could remember James Buchanan Barnes, Sergeant, 5477-

When Steve came, he was convinced he was a hallucination. He was delirious, his veins still felt like ice, and Steve was big and warm and not at all the Steve he remembered. But he and the same voice and tone and earnest look in his blue eyes. Together they escaped the burning building and Bucky realized maybe he could ignore the cold permeating his insides if Steve was by his side.

.

It didn't get better. Not in the way it should have. His medical exam came back clean and he was cleared for duty but he couldn't shake the cold. They were stationed in warm Northern Italy when Steve handed him a bowl of beans. Their hands only just brushed, but it was enough for Steve to look at him alarmed. "Jesus, Buck. Your hands are freezing!"

"Huh."

"Just huh? What's wrong, you sick?"

"Lay off him Cap. We all know his heart is cold and dead." Dum-Dum chimed in.

"I'd rather my heart be dead than stuck on a dame I haven't seen since high school." He easily shot back.

Gabe whistled. "Low blow, Sarge."

He easily fell into a joking rythm with the rest of the Howlies, but Steve was still giving him a look. Bucky just shrugged.

It wasn't until Morita stood up to lay out the bedrolls did he realize that his beans had gone cold and he hands taken a single bite. Steve, who had been watching Bucky like a hawk all throughout dinner, jerked his head away from camp. Bucky was annoyed, because he certainly did not need Steve watching over him, but he followed anyways.

No one mentioned the two of them slipping away, and as soon as they were out of earshot Steve turned to him. "Look, I don't know what's wrong, but if your not well-"

"I'm fine." He interrupted. A pained look crossed Steve's face.

"No, you're not."

"Shut up. How could you know that?"

He sighed. "Christ, Bucky. No one cares if you've got a cold and gotta sit out a few. Your face is pale, you're not eating, your hands are freezing! I just wish you'd stop being so dismissive of your own health."

For some reason, that stoked something inside of Bucky. He grit his teeth and snarled. "Fuck you! Like you're one to talk! Mr I-jump-out-of-planes-without-parachutes and take out the garbage in the winter when I damn told you not to! You think you can get so preachy with me Steve?! Gonna go all Captain America on my ass?!" He was breathing heavy, and couldn't understand where this rage was coming from but it felt good.

His jibes seemed to strike something in Steve too. His eyes narrowed and he pushed out his jaw. "My lack of self preservation is not a safety hazard to the team. If you have somehow forgotten, my body is now much more durable than yours." He bit out. "If you aren't going to be a goddamn responsible adult, there's no place for you on this team."

Bucky's eyes went wide, and he met Steve's piercing gaze. The red hot anger he felt in his veins cooled right off, and the cold chill came back with a vengeance. "Are you saying…"

Steve's face softened. He put his hand on Bucky's shoulder and pulled him close. "No. I wouldn't...not if I didn't have to."

"Steve…"

"I'm just worried about you, okay? You know there's no one I trust as much as you to watch my back. But... you know you should have been on a boat back to Brooklyn as soon as we left Azzano."

Bucky buried his face into Steve's shoulder. The height difference was still unnatural, but at times like these he was grateful.

He knew he was different, and most likely unwell or turning into the Red Skull or something, and that he should probably tell someone. (It was a legitimate fear. Every morning Bucky woke up and thanked God his skin was still on his face.)

But he also knew if he told Steve or one of the Commandos or anyone they would send him to a hospital hundreds of miles away, God forbid across the ocean. Morita, Fallsworth, Dernier, Jones, even Dum-Dum Dugan who couldn't keep his damn mouth shut… they were the best guys around. But the thought of Steve rushing into a Hydra base without him watching through a scope was not one he could stomach.

So he looked up at Steve and smiled a little. "I'm telling you I'm fine. Just feel a bit edgy 'cause of everything is all, but if I think it'll affect my aim I promise to speak up." Steve smiled back at him, but Bucky looked away. "And I'm sorry for yelling at you. That was a jerk thing to do."

"Yeah, well. You've always been the jerk of the two of us."

That got Bucky to smile for real. "Oh shut up! At least I'm not a punk."

Steve's laugh sounded like summer days in New York, and for the second time Bucky thought things might be okay.

.

They were raiding a base in France when Steve was cornered by a group of Hydra agents. Before Bucky could even process  
what was happening, four men were on the ground with holes through their heads.

Steve turned to him and saluted. Bucky's hands shook against the sniper rifle, which felt warm against his skin. It was winter.

.

Bucky slept fitfully. He could never seem to drift off, and when he could, he always woke up in a cold sweat, heart pounding.

They had set up camp after a long day hiking through the Ardennes. The ground was frozen, and Bucky could see his breath as if he'd been having a smoke. Winters biting cold only seemed to worsen his internal permafrost.

"I think I just lost a toe or two to frostbite." Dugan grumbled.

"Huh? Sorry, can't hear you over the snowmen eating off my ears like it's goddamn Christmas dinner." Bucky replied. He really regretted not accepting that damn ushanka from a group of well meaning Soviets.

That night, after a pitiful fire and curled up under a too thin sheet in the middle of the forest, Bucky was freezing. And not just the normal cold he felt in winter, curled up in their unheated apartment and trying to keep Steve warm. Not the normal cold he'd felt since Hydra. He felt this in his f**king bones, it rattled in his lungs, it froze his veins and his heart felt like it stopped pumping all together. 

He clenched his teeth to stop them from chattering. This was normal, right? Everyone else here was freezing their asses off. They were in the wilderness for God's sake. But he still couldn't shake the feeling that this felt wrong. 

And then his restless eyes landed on Steve's unshivering form. His chest rose and fell with deep sleeping breaths, and he emanated warmth like a train engine. In a flash Bucky was fitting himself against him, cold hands tucked between them, hot breath against his neck-

His pulse. Steady, beat, beat, warm blood flowing through his veins, beat, a constant rythm, warm blood just below the thin layer of skin-

A puff of breath broke Bucky out of his daze. He jerked his head away from Steve's neck, eyes snapping to Gabe Jones. He was supposed to be on guard but was watching Bucky instead. Gabe just grinned and said quietly, "Don't worry, I ain't judging. Sharing body heat is a great idea."

Bucky looked back down at Steve and felt guilt. Yes, he'd been looking for warmth, but it felt perverted, like he'd somehow violated his best friend. Disgusted, he stood up and told Gabe he'd take over his watch. 

It was ridiculous, because he and Steve had slept like that for years when they could only afford one mattress. Even as children they'd slept side by side on the floor of Bucky's parents' house. It was innocent and he'd ruined it with urges to- not sexual but- violent. He'd wanted to- beat, beat, beat, beat-

Stumbling away from the camp, Bucky heaved up the bit of food left in his stomach.

If anyone noticed him paler than usual the next day, it was because it was fucking freezing. 

.

When he fell off the train, he wished fleetingly that he could have died in a warmer spot. Falling into the Grand Canyon sounded nice, after him and Steve finally made the trek down to Arizona. 

He'd be laughing at one of Steve's dumb jokes and slip on a loose stone. Steve would reach out for him just like he did on the train, but the rock Bucky was holding would slip and the wind would whistle in his ears and he'd fall and fall and-

The wind was so loud.

He was so cold.


	2. Chapter 2

69 years later…

Nothing seemed off while Steve was out on SHIELD missions. Well, nothing except the usual 21st century nonsense he still hadn't quite gotten used to. But not in a million years would he have thought he'd be fighting alongside Hydra, unknowingly or not 

He also never expected to see the day Nick Fury was shot and killed. He also never expected to see a man back from the dead in a computer. His week was just full of surprises.

This series of unlikely events is what ended up with Steve hiding in his best-friends guest room alongside an ex-assassin. Admittedly Steve had grown a lot closer to Natasha over the past two years. His life was kind of falling apart and he was a criminal of the state, but he was glad to have Nat and Sam with him in this.

It was almost too easy for them to intimidate Sitwell into giving them intel. Steve was convinced the operation had gone perfectly for once until a metal arm crashed through the car and stole Sam's steering wheel right out of his hands. The next few moments were a blur, but next thing he knew he was sliding down the freeway and being pursued by the same assassin from that night on the rooftop. 

The man moved with brutal efficiency, stalking after Natasha like she was his prey. His movements were fast, sharp, and even the way he walked screamed I am dangerous.

Nat managed to stall him with a cleverly placed phone, but not for long and soon Steve was engaged in an intense hand to hand fight with Hydra's mystery man. Up close his eyes were an unnatural red, blown wide and staring intently at Steve as he threw punch after punch after knife. Steve didn't doubt he was enhanced like him.

Eventually the man landed a good punch, and Steve was thrown back into a van. The man rushed him, pinning him down. Steve tried to push him off, but he didn't budge. His wild eyes weren't meeting Steve's glare. They were staring at his neck. 

His breaths were coming in pants through the mask. Steve had no idea what was up with this guy, but he didn't want to see what he was planning. Planting his heels, he shoved the guy off and punched him in the face. 

It was a solid hit. His body rolled on the concrete, mask flying off. He stood up, glaring at Steve and raising his gun.

Wait…

"Bucky?!"

"Who the hell is Bucky?" He snarled back, but before he could shoot Natasha had thrown a smoke, and like magic he was gone.

Steve stared at the place he had been. 

Natasha came over to him, and then Sam, and then they were arrested, but Steve couldn't get his mind off what he'd just witnessed. 

He looked a lot different, sure, but Steve had no doubts that this was the man he'd grown up with. His eyes were red instead of blue and he threw punches that could level buildings and he was so pale, but that's what time in Hydra did to you he guessed.

"He's not the same man you remember, Steve." Natasha said quietly. Steve realised he should be trying to break free. Their hands were bound, they were in a truck going somewhere, but it just didn't seem important.

"I know, but…" Steve looked down at his hands. "Even when I had nothing I had Bucky."

…

Facing Bucky on the helicarrier was the last thing Steve wanted to do. He knew there was no way he could let Project Insight succeed, he also knew there was no way he could kill Bucky after already losing him once. 

…

"Shut up!" Bucky screamed. His fangs- fangs?- grew out, his red eyes hysterical, and he kept punching Steve like his life depended on it. 

"...'cause I'm with you til the end of the line." Steve choked out. From the look in Bucky's face it was the right thing to say. He stuttered in his next punch, fist still raised, and stared at him with what Steve hoped was recognition.

He was vaguely aware he was falling into the river. His face hurt, his body hurt, and his mind was numb. If he closed his eyes, he didn't know if he'd see Bucky again, or anything ever. Maybe he was dying. After a while he couldn't feel the river's biting cold. Maybe this was death.

…

The next day reports began popping up of missing people. Young people in the DC area began to disappear out of nowhere. The media asked if this was the new Jack the Ripper. The police had no leads.

…

Steve woke up a week later. Awareness came back slowly at first, and then all at once. The Project Insight and the Hydra and the Bucky is the Winter Soldier hit him like a landslide. 

Sam was sitting at his bedside reading until noticed Steve was up. "Hey."

"What happened to your face?" Steve blurted out before regretting it because duh. Sam's cheeks were covered in cuts and half healed bruises.

"Says you." Same joked. "I wouldn't have been surprised if you'd been ran over by a steamroller."

"Hm…" Steve sat up and rubbed his face. His ribs protested a bit, and he tugged on the iv on his shoulder, but he wanted to feel the swelling of the bruises left by his childhood friend. "We have to save him." He said quietly.

"How about we focus on getting those ribs healed first, then we'll start worrying about rogue assassins."

"He's gone rogue?!"

"Yeah. Fury killed Peirce, by the way. We found you on the shore of the Potomac. There were footprints…" Sam trailed off, watching Steve's reaction.

"He pulled me out?" Steve gasped, which hurt his ribs but he didn't care. Bucky remembered him.

"We think so. But Steve, he's still dangerous. When we found you you were so beat up I thought you were dead." 

"He remembers." He already knew he was different he saw it, he felt it. But still, he looked Sam in the eyes, pleading. "We have to find him."

…

Steve was let out of the hospital a few days later with orders to take it easy. Upon his release, he and Sam met with Natasha, who had become extremely busy over the past two weeks, and Fury, who was legally deceased.

Eighty years ago, if someone had told him he would be in the twenty-first century graveyard with a man staring down at his own tombstone, he'd have kindly told them to lay off the liquor. Life worked in funny ways.

After Fury left, Natasha turned to Steve. He'd noticed the manila folder she was carrying as soon as she'd arrived, but he felt that their pseudo memorial service was not the right time to bring it up.

The folder itself was old, worn, and stamped all over in Russian with was Steve guessed was "classified".

"I have to warn you, there's not much in there. The Winter Soldier operation is one of the best kept secrets in Hydra history." 

"This is perfect, Nat. Thank you." Steve replied earnestly. As he took the file a small grainy photo of Bucky in his uniform fell out into the grass.

"Steve wait, before you continue there's a few things you should know." Natasha hesitated.

"What is it?"

"Hydra never managed to recreate the super soldier serum."

"He's obviously enhanced." Steve replied. Those punches hurt, badly. As much as it hurt to admit, there was no way Bucky was normal.

"Yes," Natasha said slowly. "But not with the serum."

"Then what?"

She sighed. "Let me show you."

...

They took Natasha's car about 40 minutes out to a flower shop in the DC suburbs. It was inconspicuous, wedged between a small restaurant and a vintage store. The lights were off, but cheerful pink flowers greeted them from the windowsill.

The door was unlocked. Natasha let herself in. "I cleared this place yesterday. It's Hydra."

"Looks pretty normal to me." Sam commented.

She shrugged and pulled a flashlight out of her coat. "Hydra's good at playing normal. Anyways, let me show you the basement."

"Sorry, but what does this have to do with Bucky?" They were on the third flight of stairs going down when they finally hit their first door.

"You'll see."

...

Eventually, after four more flights of stairs and a long hallway, they reached what looked like a freezer room. 

"Plug your nose." Natasha warned, then opened the door.

Inside were three huge, pristine fridges. The stench was overwhelming but undoubtedly the metallically stinging scent of blood.

"What the hell!" Sam cried, covering his nose with his shirt. "Is this where they keep dead bodies?!"

Natasha shut the door. "No. Its the blood room." She stated, cryptic as usual.

"Blood...for what…" Steve's enhanced senses easily identified what was in those fridges to be gallons of human blood, but it was sterile smelling. Nothing like after you got shot or punched in the nose.

"I know male attention spans are pretty short, but your going to have to stay with me for this explanation." Sam snorted, but Steve nodded seriously.

"Okay. In 1943, the Germans were looking for a Norwegian rebel who had fled north. Instead they found the tomb of three bodies preserved under ice. The bodies were found to be vampires."

"...what." Steve leaned back against the cold wall of the compound. At this point someone could tell him he was still in 1935 and this whole thing had been a fever dream and he wouldn't be surprised.

"Vampires?" Sam sounded incredulous. "Like Dracula vampires? That kind?"

"Yes, that kind." Natasha deadpanned before carrying on. "Anyways, Hydra swept up the discovery pretty quick. They studied them and found they had been another hominid species, like Neanderthals were, that probably went extinct sometime in the 1700s. After that they just became myth."

"First aliens and now this? Next you're going to tell me the animals in this century talk too?"

"You'd be surprised. But seriously, Zola took an interest in the bodies, so he extracted their blood and used it for experiments. He thought it could be a replacement for the serum they used on you"

"So when Bucky was captured in Azanno, they…" Steve didn't want to finish that sentence. It had been hard enough to accept that he had been brainwashed by Hydra, now he was supposed to accept that he wasn't even human.

"What the fuck?" Sam muttered. Steve agreed.

"There is no evidence that it started that early, but that's what I assume. The Winter Soldier is the only remaining vampire in the world, if you don't count the halfs."

"Halfs…?" Sam asked. "What the hell is that? Natasha, how do you know all of this?"

She half smiled, but it wasn't happy. "Because I am one."

"What!?" Steve gasped over Sam's "You can't be serious…"

"I am. Though only a half." She looked away. "All of the Red Room operators were blooded."

"How do you go out in the sun?" Sam wondered. "Why have I never seen you drink blood? Where's your fangs?"

"It's not like in the fairytales. Being a half barely means anything, we're just a bit stronger than normal humans and if I eat a rare steak once a week, I'm fine."

"Okay." Steve tried to understand. "Your a half vampire, and Bucky is a full vampire. But he had fangs, red eyes, I saw them. Is that a full vampire thing?" 

"Yes and no." Natasha confirmed. "My fangs only extend a bit when I'm eating but not enough to be noticeable, and my eyes never changed colour. We're much different than full blooded. Full vampires are stronger, but they're...unstable. They live off of human blood. Every one of them that I saw was eventually killed, except for the Winter Soldier."

"But your fine, right? You live among people and keep it a secret. Bucky could do that too?" Steve asked.

"You have to understand that he has been held captive and fed nothing but human blood for the past seven decades. This whole room I showed you, it was built for him. His thirst is much more extreme than mine ever was. Even if we do find him, he'll never fully be the same person you remember."

"I can live with that." Steve conceded. He wasn't looking for the past. He just wanted Bucky to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay sorry this is literally just ca tws but I needed this to make plot go sorry if it was painful also this is 3 chapters now yay
> 
> Also I really did not intend for it to be 69 years but that's how it worked out so¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

**Author's Note:**

> hello! this is my very first fic on ao3! I plan on continuing this but I hope you enjoyed the first chapter :D


End file.
